July 1st - Canada day and Quebec moving day!

One of the weird things people who arrive in Quebec notice is that most landlords have their leases that start/end July 1st.  They also notice how crazy July 1st is in neighbourhoods where there are a lot of rentals. Everyone their mother, brother, sister, and their dog move on July 1st.  [Sadly the family pooch and feline might be moving from a nice pampered life in someone's home to being abandoned in the streets]

I've heard rumours from other parts of Canada that people think we're doing it on purpose not to celebrate Canada day.   The amusing part is that the change to July 1 was introduced by federalist MNA, Jérôme Choquette of the Quebec Liberal Party. His intention was certainly not to dis Canada day.  However there's a history as to why this is.

Back in 1700 when Quebec was still the colony Nouvelle France, one of the rules was that Lords could not evict peasants until spring, because it's cruel to evict someone in -20C weather. For urban leases it became May 1st.  By 1866, it was included in the Civil code of Lower Canada [Which became the civil code of Quebec].  For over a century leases in Quebec by law went from May 1st to April 30th.   The Quebec Government in 1973 created the Regie du Logement, which has guidelines for landlords and tenants, as well as a court to deal with problems between owner and renter. Also  they added that leases dates and lengths could be fixed as the landlord see fit, and decided that all the leases that ended in April 1975 would be extended to the end of June 1975.  This was done to push the end of leases away from May 1st.

It was great, because for the first time, children weren't changed schools the last 2 months of the year if their family moved.  My mom, who was a first grade teacher, was so happy when the leases ended at the end of June after the school year was over. At least if the family moved every year and some families do surprisingly, at least the child could get to do a full year of school in the same school with the same teacher.  She claimed the date of July 1st was chosen because it was after the end of the school year and it was about time.

In theory landlords could have their leases end on different dates and have leases for more or less then a year but it seems a large percentage of landlords keep it like that.  Some say it's just easier to rent if your lease is from July 1st to June 30th. The exception are generally large building complexes and low rent housing complexes. They just try to fill vacancies as they come and they generally have 1 year leases. Personally while I rented after separating from first husband, I always had my leases that went from August 1st, to July 31st.  Just to avoid the July 1st madness. 

My mom used to live in Rosemont as a girl and she tells me my grandma didn't understand the neighbours, who would live next door one year, across the street next year, 3 houses down on the left the year after that, and come back and be neighbour on the other side the year after that.  I mean the row houses on that street were more or less the same. My grandparents rented the same place for the 10 years they lived there. They never understood people who moved every year and on the same street no less!!!!

While researching a bit why Montreal had it's rents going to May 1st, I found out that New York City also had their leases that terminated May 1st starting also sometime in the 1700's.  The difference is, that in New York City the practice came to an end after WWII, due to the lack of availability of able men after the war,  the advent of rent control and many other factors.

In this province despite the fact the day changed from May to July there is still moving day madness. I was reading that any July 1st in Quebec, there's 20% of the population moving. If we talk in terms of Montreal and Quebec city  it might be a larger percentage. As of 2002 only 36% of Montrealers owned their own home. So that means lots of people move on moving day!

I was just thinking if that friend had been visiting in Montreal today, I could have driven her a bit around town and she could have seen some of the moving day madness. I mean sometimes it's worth driving around just to see how precariously they balance furniture in a tiny little pickup truck. Or people who pile stuff on the roofs of their car. Of course after wandering around the Middle east, seeing stuff piled as you can on what you have, this is not eyebrow raising in the least,  just amusing.

Joyeuse fête du Canada - Happy Canada Day to all those who aren't moving :)